The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Istanbul Organization convened its 3rd Ordinary Congress at the Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Show Center on Sunday.

The congress was attended by thousands of people, including DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, as well as representatives of political parties, civil society and women's organizations.

Gonca Yangöz and Murat Kalmaz, the current provincial co-chairs, made the opening speech.

Speaking afterward, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan said, “The world, the Middle East and Turkey are going through a historic process. All countries, all governments, are reviewing the policies they have pursued so far and trying to shape themselves according to the new period and developments. In Turkey, however, the AKP-MHP government continues to move on the wrong course and path.”

 “While the world and the Middle East are being reshaped, the rulers in our country are still implementing 100-year-old policies of rejection and denial,” Bakırhan said, citing the usurpation of the municipalities by the government.

Referring to the attacks against Kurds, the opposition and women, Bakırhan drew attention to the new wave of attacks against the HDK (Peoples’ Democratic Congress), in which at least 30 people were imprisoned.

Referring to the attacks against Kurds, the opposition and women, Bakırhan condemned the most recent wave of attacks against the HDK (Peoples’ Democratic Congress). In the operation launched against the HDK on February 18, 54 people were detained. After days of detention, 30 people were remanded in custody, 13 were sentenced to house arrest and 7 were released on judicial control conditions.

Bakırhan pointed out that, “The HDK is not a terrorist organization; it is the oppressed Kurdish women, Alevis, young people, resisting workers, 16 million pensioners. HDK is Kurdish, Turkish, Arab. It is the oppressed and the laborers.”

The DEM Party Co-Chair continued, “It is not right to criminalize the most revolutionary, most democratic institution in the country through these investigations and arrests, and this judicial stick. We will not allow this. I am the HDK, we are all the HDK.”

“The judiciary's job is not, should not and cannot be to decide who the DEM Party will ally with,” Bakırhan said, calling on the Erdoğan government to abandon its enmity.

Bakırhan stressed that obstacles would not stop them and said, “We will not get tired. We will democratize Turkey. Despite all these attacks, all the obstacles, all the denials and neglection, the democratization of Turkey is one of our indispensable basic duties.”

Pointing to the invasion attacks against North and East Syria, Bakırhan said: “Let the people living there decide on their land. Why are you attacking the Tishrin Dam together with the SNA mercenaries and establishing relations with the Syrian regime so that the Kurds do not gain status? What you are supposed to do is accept the status of the Kurds. If you have any influence on the Syrian regime, make peace with the Kurds.”

“We are experiencing a historic process and a historic debate in Turkey in the political sense,” said Bakırhan and drew attention to the historic call that Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan is expected to make.

Bakırhan stated: “Mr. Öcalan will make a historic call from İmralı Prison. That historic call will involve justice, economy, democratic and independent judiciary. The idea of a democratic Turkey where Kurds can speak their mother language freely, where their will is not usurped, where Alevis are treated as equal citizens, where young people and women are not killed and their hopes are not destroyed will be put forward. A road map will be put forward. We attach importance to this historic call. As the DEM Party, we have stated from the first day that we stand with, support and will defend the historic call to be made by Mr. Öcalan. Some people say that the Kurds will be deceived. This people, who have been ignored, murdered, imprisoned, exiled and starved for 100 years, have not been deceived so far but have become the 3rd largest ground in Turkey. Don't worry, we will not be deceived. Instead of worrying about this, support this process. We are not a people to be fooled, we are not a party to be fooled. After Mr. Öcalan's call, democracy will be discussed in Turkey. Freedoms will be discussed. It will become clear who is for and who is against it. It will be revealed who lies and who believes it. There is only one thing to do; to achieve a democratic solution to the Kurdish question that will put democracy and the economy back on track, to ensure the democratization of Turkey. Those who run away from this will lose.”

After the speeches, the annual report was read and Arife Çınar and Çınar Altan were elected the new provincial co-chairs.